Tank ball valve



April 25, 1939. s. M. KASS TANK BALL VALVE Filed July 3, 1957 Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in rubber ball valves for use in water closet flush tanks.

A purpose of my invention is to equip a hollow resilient tank ball valve that is adapted to open and close the supply of water from a flush tank to a water closet bowl, with a check valve and pump for controlling the supply of air within the resilient ball valve. g

A further purpose is to prov de a resilient tank ball with a closed bottoin into which bottom a ball check valve is secured. I

A further purpose is to supply a resilient handoperated air pump to a resilient ball valve tor use in a flush tank in order that air" can be introduced into the resilient ball valv ei A further purpose is to supply air under pressure to, and retain the in, a resilient" ball valve A further purpose is" to construct a ball valve surface with annular beaded extensions" adapted to make engagement with the ends of different sizes of pipes.

A further purpose is to decrease the noise incident to the flushing of a water" closet tank.

Further purposes will appear in the specification and in the clain'is.

In the drawing I illustrate only one form of my invention, with slight variations as to construction, selecting a form, however, that has proved to be satisfactory in operation, and is believed to be convenient irf i11iitfati6ii and suitable for explanation of the principles involved. I

1 is a; side elevationof a tern: ball made according to my' fivenpitm', snqwing' an aux iliary air pum attached t ereto, the tank can being in engagement with the end of a flush tank discharge pipe, the manage pipe Being shown partly in set'ioh.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View taken en ire line 22 of Figure 1. w I

Figure 3 is e fragmentary sectional view similar to a portion of Figure 2 biit with the hand pump of 2 omitted and the end of the auiziliary valve made Ioii'gei" to adapt" the valve to e difirent use. pp

4 is a transverse sectional view similai to Figure 2, bill; illustrating a different form of teal; ball valve; I

Figure 5 is" a fragmentary View similar to a portion of Figures 1 and 2, but illustrating a different form of valve from Figures I and 2.

Figure 6 is a side elevationof a modified form of tank ball with my auxiliary hand-operated air pump applied thereto, the tank ball being illustrated as presenting difirent annular beads Describing in illustration and not in limita- F tion and referring to the drawing:

My invention is intended to improve the contacting surfaces of tank balls with respect to the discharge pipes of flush tanks which are used in connection with water'closet bowls. The tank ball functions as the outlet valve of the flush tank, and the discharge pipe provides the seat upon which the tank ball rests when the valve is in closed position.

In tank balls of the prior art it has been the customary practice to form the balls with open bottoms. This practice has been followed probably because it was thought that a more resilient contact of the engaging" wall of the ball with the discharge pipe of the flush tank was made by reason of 'the fact that the interior of the ball was always open" to the atmosphere.

I have found that after the annular portion of the conical seating surface ID has been in continual use for some time the surface will become deteriorated and flabby, thereby losing its eficiency as to' seating in the end of the dis charge pipe. A

By my invention the above-noted objections will be overcome. I maintain a slight pressure inside the ball valve, which causes the rubber to maintain the shape and particularly prevents the seating" surface II from 'caving' in after considerable use.

In Figures 1 and 2, I have shown a tank ball 9, having a conical seating surface [0, which seats against the end of a discharge pipe ll, an intermediate vertical portion l2 and an upper conical surface l3.' At the top of the conical surface l3 I form an enlarged projection M;

In the center of the enlarged projection I place a metal insert I5 which is threaded interiorly at Hi to receive the threaded end [1 of an operating rod [8, familiar in the flush tank construction. g g

The bottom l9 of the tank ball is apertured at 20 for the reception of the end 2| of a ball I eter at its end 24 farthest away from the tank ball.

By reducing the ends 2| and 24 (by squeezing the metal at these points), I am enabled to accomplish two things; first, to retain a ball 26 within the check valve casing 22 and, second, to provide a seat 21 for the ball 26 to close the valve and thereby prevent air that is in the tank ball from escaping.

On the end 24 of the valve casing I place a hollow rubber bulb 28 apertured at 29 to admit air into the bulb. By pressing the bulb and covering the aperture 29, as with the thumb, I may pump air through the check valve and into the interior of the tank ball by unseating the ball 26 from its seat 21 within the valve casing. After sufficient air has been forced into the tank ball by the pumping action and after the bulb is allowed to expand, the check valve ball will be forced, by the internal air pressure of the tank ball, to its seat within the valve casing.

I have found that by the use of my device, the hissing or roaring sound caused by water running over the end of the discharge pipe is greatly reduced because, when the water from the tank flows over the end of the discharge pipe, as the tank ball is lifted, it will engage the rubber bulb extension from the tank ball and the bulb will cause a deadening of the sound of running water as the water discharges over the pipe end and into the water closet bowl. While the rubber bulb 28 has the most desirable deadening action upon the sound, even a metallic extension below the tank ball, as shown in Figure 3, without the rubber bulb,,wi1l help to deaden the sound. While the extension on the tank ball has greater sounddeadening effect if it be resilient, a non-resilient bulb shape assists in deadening the sound.

I have illustrated modified forms of pumping arrangements in Figures 3 and 4, in which the pumping bulb of Figures 1 and 2 has been omitted. In these forms of Figures 3 and 4, I have found that the tank ball can be filled with air by placing the end 24 of the valve casing 23, in the user's mouth and blowing air through the valve 23 and into the tank ball. The action of this form is identical to that of the structure of Figures 1 and 2. The structure of Figure 3 is otherwise the same as Figures 1 and 2.

Other suitable types of valve, modelled for example on bicycle or automobile tire valves, may be used instead of the check valve which I have shown. The check valve is desirably located at the bottom of the tank ball, but it may be located elsewhere if desired.

In Figure 4, I have shown a slightly different formation of a tank ball, in which the bottom or seating surface of the tank ball is curved instead of conical. This of course is optional with the user. i

Figure 5 illustrates another form of valve closure which I have found to be desirable. In Figure 5 I place a resilient flap valve 30 thickened at one end within the tank ball H), with its thin portion 3| positioned above an opening 20' of the tank ball and being operative to seat against a circular seat 32 adjacent the opening 20'. The flap valve 30 has its thickened extended end cemented at 33 to the interior of the tank ball bottom l9. In all other respects the construction is the same as in Figures 1 and 2 and I have therefore given the same parts corresponding reference characters.

In the showing of Figure 5 I have illustrated a bulb for supplying air to the tank ball as already described in connection with Figures 1 and 2. Of course an extension similar to that shown at 24 in Figure 3 may be used if desired but I have found that a short extension as shown at 24' in Figure is sometimes desirable.

The flap valve 30 presents its thin end or closure portion 3| against the opening 20 to complete proper closure. The resilience obtained by the use of the flap valve will be obvious, as the flap has a thick end for permanent connection and a thin end for resilient closure of the valve opening.

In Figure 6 I have illustrated a structure very similar to that of Figure l excepting that annular beads 34 are provided on the conical surface of the tank ball, to make a positive strengthened seal between the tank ball and the discharge pipe.

It will be noted that spacing of the annular beads upon the conical surface of the tank ball provides for seatingthe tank ball against the ends of diiferent sizes of pipe as clearly shown at 35 in Figure 6, in which I have illustrated in dot-and-dash lines a discharge pipe of smaller diameter than that shown in full lines in the same view.

The beads strengthen the tank ball seating surface against deformation, and prevent the seating surface from sagging at one side more than at another side, and thus causing the flush tank outlet valve to leak.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

I. A hollow resilient rubber tank ball having surfaces adapted to cooperate with a valve seat, means for inflating the tank ball and a check valve for controlling air in the tank ball interposed between the inflating means and the interior of the tank ball. whereby the pressure of air on the interior of the tank ball serves to maintain its contour against the valve seat.

2. In a water closet flush tank, an outlet valve seat, an operating rod, a hollow resilient rubber tank ball secured to the operating rod and having valve surfaces cooperating with the seat when the valve is in closed position to prevent escape of water from the flush tank, walls forming a passage communicating into the hollow interior of the tank ball and a ball check valve movable in the passage end, when in closed position, preventing defiation of the tank ball, whereby the shape of the tank ball is maintained by the interior air pressure.

3. In a water closet flush tank, a tank ball having oppositely conical upper and lower surfaces, an operating rod secured to the tank ballat the top, an outlet valve seat engaging one of the conical surfaces adjacent the lower end of the tank ball, walls forming a passage extending into the tank ball interior at the bottom of the ball, a check valve in the passage and a bulb secured ,to the walls at the end of the passage having an aperture for admitting air into the bulb.

4. In a water closet flush tank, a hollow resilient rubber tank ball, an operating rod secured to the tank ball at its upper end, an outlet valve seat engaging the tankball adjacent its lower end, walls forming a passage communicating to the interior of the tank ball axially in line with the operating rod and, when the tank ball is in closed position, annularly within the valve seat and means for preventing the escape of air through the passage.

5. In a water closet flush tank, a. hollow ball having a downward opening from the ball interior, a flat valve within the ball cooperating to cover the opening and a collapsible hollow bulb depending from the ball connecting with the opening and having an opening at the bottom 5 0f the bulb.

SAMUEL M. KASS. 

